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Canisius University

Canisius University is a private campus in Buffalo proper — federal locale codes class it as urban. The school reports a Roman Catholic affiliation in its federal filings.

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What could it cost?

Start with net price after grants, then read the published costs. Each chart names its academic year and the students it covers.

Net price by family income

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Average annual cost after grants for each family-income band. These group averages are not personal price quotes.

IPEDS Income brackets, 2022–23

family-income band

$12,369

family income
under $30k

$13,719

$30–48k

$16,657

$48–75k

$20,762

$75–110k

$23,259

over $110k

Average net price

$17,9402023–24Skip to data table

Average annual attendance cost after grants for the reported student group. Your own aid offer and costs may differ.

Average net price at Canisius University has held near $17,940 from 2008 to 2023.

Average net price — data
Year	Net price
2008	$18,279
2009	$18,970
2010	$17,951
2011	$17,989
2012	$19,289
2013	$20,026
2014	$19,376
2015	$20,346
2016	$20,913
2017	$20,103
2018	$19,222
2019	$18,602
2020	$17,907
2021	$19,208
2022	$18,322
2023	$17,940

IPEDS 16 federal reports, 2008–2023

Total cost of attendance

$44,3222024–25Skip to data table

Estimated annual attendance budget before grants, including tuition, fees, housing, food and books. Not every expense is billed by the school.

Total cost at Canisius University rose from $37,885 (2009) to $44,322 (2024).

Total cost of attendance — data
Year	Cost
2009	$37,885
2010	$39,071
2011	$40,095
2012	$41,428
2013	$42,796
2014	$45,339
2015	$46,481
2016	$46,598
2017	$46,994
2018	$47,672
2019	$38,896
2020	$39,217
2021	$39,531
2022	$40,718
2023	$42,271
2024	$44,322

IPEDS Academic-year cost 2009–2024

Tuition & fees

Skip to data table

Published tuition and fees before grants. Housing, food, books and other attendance costs are separate.

Tuition & fees — data
Year	Tuition & fees
2000	$16,386
2001	$17,536
2003	$20,193
2004	$21,811
2005	$23,297
2006	$24,857
2007	$26,427
2008	$28,157
2013	$33,332
2014	$34,000
2015	$34,690
2016	$35,424
2017	$36,454
2018	$28,488
2019	$29,428
2020	$30,230
2021	$30,910
2022	$31,800
2023	$32,720

IPEDS Published price 2000–01 to 2023–24 (not adjusted for inflation)

Cost, size & completion summary

Cost, size & completion

Reported tuition is $34,500 before grants and other attendance costs. At Canisius University, aid and other costs change the bill. Scorecard snapshot: 2026-06-10; historical charts show their own years.

Enrollment sits at 1,685 — Canisius University is one of the smaller campuses on this site.

66.4% of first-time, full-time bachelor's entrants completed at Canisius University within six years (2026-06-10 release). This measure excludes other student groups.

Do students finish — and what comes after?

Graduation, debt and earnings cover different groups. Read each chart's entering class or fiscal period; they are not one group's journey.

Six-year graduation rate

key chart

66.4%entered Fall 2018Skip to data table

The share of first-time, full-time bachelor's entrants who completed at this institution within six years. Other students are not included.

The six-year graduation rate at Canisius University rose from 53.8% (entered 1991) to 66.4% (entered 2018).

A six-year rate can only describe a class that entered six or more years ago — by definition the last point on the line is that old.

Six-year graduation rate — data
Year	Graduated within 6 yrs
1991 cohort	53.8%
1992 cohort	53.5%
1993 cohort	54.6%
1994 cohort	51.6%
1995 cohort	56%
1996 cohort	64.3%
1997 cohort	67.5%
1998 cohort	69.9%
1999 cohort	64.8%
2000 cohort	63.3%
2001 cohort	65.4%
2002 cohort	67.7%
2003 cohort	68.4%
2004 cohort	70.5%
2005 cohort	66.7%
2006 cohort	68.3%
2007 cohort	67.5%
2008 cohort	67.9%
2009 cohort	69.9%
2010 cohort	70.8%
2011 cohort	69.3%
2012 cohort	68.5%
2013 cohort	73.2%
2014 cohort	68.9%
2015 cohort	70.6%
2016 cohort	66.2%
2017 cohort	70.7%
2018 cohort	66.4%

IPEDS Entering cohorts 1991–2018

Median debt at exit (completers vs non-completers)

Historical student groups

key chart

Skip to data table

Median federal student loan debt when students left school, shown separately for those who completed and those who did not.

CompletedLeft without degree

Each point combines two years. Neighboring points share one year, so changes should be read with that overlap in mind.

These two-year windows closed before today's students borrowed — they describe past cohorts, not the current price of a degree.

Median debt at exit — data
Year	Completed	Left without degree
Left school in fiscal years 2007 and 2008 (FY2007/08)	$17,125	$10,500
Left school in fiscal years 2008 and 2009 (FY2008/09)	$17,125	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2009 and 2010 (FY2009/10)	$18,125	$6,750
Left school in fiscal years 2010 and 2011 (FY2010/11)	$20,636	$8,100
Left school in fiscal years 2011 and 2012 (FY2011/12)	$22,125	$7,000
Left school in fiscal years 2012 and 2013 (FY2012/13)	$23,220	$7,000
Left school in fiscal years 2013 and 2014 (FY2013/14)	$23,689	$8,000
Left school in fiscal years 2014 and 2015 (FY2014/15)	$24,552	$9,250
Left school in fiscal years 2015 and 2016 (FY2015/16)	$24,522	$8,750
Left school in fiscal years 2016 and 2017 (FY2016/17)	$25,000	$8,750
Left school in fiscal years 2017 and 2018 (FY2017/18)	$25,000	$8,250
Left school in fiscal years 2018 and 2019 (FY2018/19)	$23,734	$8,250
Left school in fiscal years 2019 and 2020 (FY2019/20)	$23,750	$6,500
Left school in fiscal years 2020 and 2021 (FY2020/21)	$24,250	$6,500

NSLDS GRAD_DEBT_MDN / WDRAW_DEBT_MDN, merged FY periods · via College Scorecard

Earnings after entry

Historical student groups

Median annual earnings after entering college, for federally aided students who were working and not enrolled when measured.

Entered: academic years 2013–14 or 2014–15

$46,089

6 years after entry

Entered: academic years 2011–12 or 2012–13

$55,431

8 years after entry

Entered: academic years 2009–10 or 2010–11

$60,681

10 years after entry

Each figure covers a different group of students who entered college in the stated years. Earnings were measured in the same two years; these are not one group followed over time.

Measured in 2020–21, adjusted for inflation to 2022 dollars. Each figure pools two entering academic years.

Treasury Pooled entering cohorts · Scorecard 2020–21 historical file

What does the admissions record show?

Rates and score ranges describe a past admissions cycle. Submitted scores are not cutoffs or a prediction of admission.

Admissions snapshot & test policies

Canisius University admitted 3,021 of 4,175 applicants in Fall 2024. The 72.4% rate describes that application pool.

72.4%

acceptance rate · Fall 2024 admissions cycle

rate trend $32,720 tuition · 2023–24 1,685 undergraduates · Fall 2024

Tests not considered · Fall 2024

Not sure where you stand? Estimate your GPA →

Admissions

In the Fall 2024 cycle, Canisius University received 4,175 applications and admitted 3,021 (72.4%), with 397 enrolling.

Canisius University did not consider scores in the Fall 2024 admissions cycle. No score range is displayed for Canisius University under that historical policy.

Check current requirements with admissions.

Acceptance rate

72.4%Fall 2024Skip to data table

The share of applicants offered a spot — lower means more selective; read it alongside the score ranges below.

Canisius University's admission rate fell from 83.4% to 72.4%. The rate alone cannot explain the change. This describes Fall 2003 to Fall 2024.

Acceptance rate — data
Year	Acceptance rate
Fall 2001	82.8%
Fall 2003	83.4%
Fall 2004	82.3%
Fall 2005	71.5%
Fall 2006	76.6%
Fall 2007	76.6%
Fall 2008	75.5%
Fall 2009	75.5%
Fall 2010	77.7%
Fall 2011	74.9%
Fall 2012	73.9%
Fall 2013	72.5%
Fall 2014	80.2%
Fall 2015	87%
Fall 2016	77.9%
Fall 2017	78.2%
Fall 2018	78.7%
Fall 2019	82.7%
Fall 2020	76%
Fall 2021	81.5%
Fall 2022	77.7%
Fall 2023	81.8%
Fall 2024	72.4%

IPEDS Fall cycles 2001–2024

SAT range (section sums, 25th–75th)

1050–1320Fall 2022 · submittersSkip to data table

Sums of the reading/writing and math percentiles among enrolled submitters — not percentiles of total SAT scores or admission cutoffs.

SAT range (section sums) — data
Year	25th	75th
Fall 2001	990	1160
Fall 2003	1000	1210
Fall 2004	1000	1200
Fall 2005	1010	1210
Fall 2006	1000	1200
Fall 2007	1000	1200
Fall 2008	990	1220
Fall 2009	1010	1240
Fall 2010	970	1210
Fall 2011	990	1210
Fall 2012	970	1190
Fall 2013	980	1200
Fall 2014	970	1180
Fall 2015	950	1180
Fall 2016	970	1190
Fall 2017	1040	1260
Fall 2018	1050	1270
Fall 2019	1030	1270
Fall 2020	1040	1240
Fall 2021	1050	1250
Fall 2022	1050	1320

IPEDS Fall 2001–2022, submitters only

ACT middle 50%

22–28Fall 2022 · submittersSkip to data table

The middle half of enrolled ACT submitters, using published composite-score percentiles — not admission cutoffs.

ACT middle 50% — data
Year	25th	75th
Fall 2001	20	26
Fall 2003	20	26
Fall 2004	21	25
Fall 2005	22	27
Fall 2006	21	26
Fall 2007	21	26
Fall 2008	22	27
Fall 2009	22	27
Fall 2010	22	26
Fall 2011	22	27
Fall 2012	21	27
Fall 2013	22	27
Fall 2014	21	27
Fall 2015	21	27
Fall 2016	22	28
Fall 2017	22	28
Fall 2018	21	27
Fall 2019	20	28
Fall 2020	21	27
Fall 2021	24	31
Fall 2022	22	28

IPEDS Fall 2001–2022, submitters only

What is the campus like?

Enrollment counts a campus population; retention follows first-years returning. Their dates and populations are shown separately.

Undergraduate enrollment

1,685Fall 2024Skip to data table

Reported undergraduate enrollment. This count does not measure class size or teaching access.

Undergraduate enrollment at Canisius University fell from 3,226 (Fall 2002) to 1,685 (Fall 2024).

Undergraduate enrollment — data
Year	Undergraduates
Fall 2002	3,226
Fall 2003	3,247
Fall 2004	3,343
Fall 2005	3,395
Fall 2006	3,287
Fall 2007	3,378
Fall 2008	3,224
Fall 2009	3,112
Fall 2010	3,065
Fall 2011	3,084
Fall 2012	2,992
Fall 2013	2,858
Fall 2014	2,736
Fall 2015	2,552
Fall 2016	2,485
Fall 2017	2,324
Fall 2018	2,191
Fall 2019	2,138
Fall 2020	1,957
Fall 2021	1,807
Fall 2022	1,750
Fall 2023	1,768
Fall 2024	1,685

IPEDS Fall headcounts 2002–2024

First-year retention (full-time)

73%Fall 2023 cohortSkip to data table

The share of the reported first-time student group who returned the following year. This rate does not explain why others left.

First-year retention at Canisius University fell from 84% (Fall 2003) to 73% (Fall 2023).

First-year retention — data
Year	Retention
Fall 2003 cohort	84%
Fall 2004 cohort	83%
Fall 2005 cohort	80%
Fall 2006 cohort	81%
Fall 2007 cohort	83%
Fall 2008 cohort	82%
Fall 2009 cohort	84%
Fall 2010 cohort	84%
Fall 2011 cohort	82%
Fall 2012 cohort	80%
Fall 2013 cohort	86%
Fall 2014 cohort	83%
Fall 2015 cohort	84%
Fall 2016 cohort	83%
Fall 2017 cohort	85%
Fall 2018 cohort	84%
Fall 2019 cohort	82%
Fall 2020 cohort	82%
Fall 2021 cohort	78%
Fall 2022 cohort	80%
Fall 2023 cohort	73%

IPEDS Full-time cohorts 2003–2023

More about Canisius University

32.2% of Canisius University's undergraduates carry Pell grants — the standard federal marker of lower-income enrollment. Carnegie classes Canisius University as a primarily residential campus of 1,685 undergraduates — and 72.6% of the reported first-time, full-time student group returned for a second year.

Canisius University reported not considering test scores in Fall 2024, when its admission rate was 72.4%. Review Canisius University's current requirements before applying; use the GPA calculator for your semester numbers.

Why some charts are marked “key chart”

key chart

Start with three useful questions: what costs were reported for families in your income band, how many first-time full-time students finished, and what federal debt borrowers held when leaving.

How Canisius University compares

State and national medians cover active bachelor-primary institutions, mixing public and private schools. Tuition uses in-state rates at public schools. These are broad reference points, not a ranking of similar schools or your likely bill.

Scorecard dates identify the release snapshot, not a shared measurement year. Earnings describe federally aided students who were working and not enrolled ten years after entry; cohorts and populations differ from the admissions and tuition figures.

Acceptance rate

Fall 2024 admissions cycle · IPEDS

Canisius University72.4%

New York median70.1%

National median76.8%

Tuition

Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot · published tuition before aid

Canisius University$34,500

New York median$17,408

National median$19,591

Median earnings (10 yr)

Ten years after entry · Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot

Canisius University's snapshot: calendar years and dollar basis unverified.

Canisius University$60,681

New York median$60,236

National median$53,781

View comparison data & dates

Canisius University, New York and national reference values
Metric & basis	Canisius University	New York median	National median
Acceptance rateFall 2024 admissions cycle · IPEDS	72.4%	70.1%	76.8%
TuitionScorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot · published tuition before aid	$34,500	$17,408	$19,591
Median earnings (10 yr)Ten years after entry · Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot	$60,681	$60,236	$53,781

Published earnings by bachelor's field of study

For Canisius University, these are federal subject groups (CIP), not departments. Median is the middle annual income.

Canisius University federal-aid recipients · graduated 2017–18 or 2018–19 · income measured 2022 or 2023 · inflation-adjusted to 2024 dollars. Definitions and limits.

View 17 fields & earnings

Bachelor's field of study (CIP category)	Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion
Accounting and Related Services	$82,563
Finance and Financial Management Services	$70,001
Marketing	$66,256
Economics	$65,757
Business Administration, Management and Operations	$62,955
Political Science and Government	$62,398
Criminal Justice and Corrections	$60,674
Sociology	$58,469
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness	$57,036
Communication and Media Studies	$54,529
Research and Experimental Psychology	$51,532
Human Services, General	$51,522
Biology, General	$48,104
Natural Resources Conservation and Research	$45,233
English Language and Literature, General	$45,180
Zoology/Animal Biology	$40,174
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication	$39,148

These 17 fields listed for Canisius University measure earnings after completion. The $60,681 institution-level snapshot above measures earnings after entry; it is not the same cohort or a total for these fields. 33 additional Canisius University fields have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.

Frequently asked questions

What test-score data does Canisius University report?

Canisius University did not consider scores in Fall 2024: 72.4% admitted. Check current requirements.

What is Canisius University's acceptance rate?

72.4% in the Fall 2024 cycle — 3,021 admitted from 4,175 applicants.

How much does Canisius University cost?

At Canisius University, tuition is $34,500. Tuition is not the total cost of attendance; aid can reduce your bill.

What earnings data does Canisius University report?

Median earnings ten years after entry: $60,681. Major figures measure four years after completion. Source and date limits.

Similar colleges in New York

Clarkson University — 77.4% admitted
Associated Beth Rivkah Schools — 84.1% admitted
CUNY City College — 60% admitted
CUNY Graduate School and University Center — 68.5% admitted

Run your own numbers

Data: IPEDS ADM2024 (Fall 2024 admissions, provisional) · IPEDS HD2024/IC2024 directory · College Scorecard 2026-06-10 release (institution and field-of-study files; earnings from Treasury records). Retrieved 2026-09-01. Chart dates follow this institution's available observations; the release date is not an academic year or an earnings year. Some records end earlier than others. Field-of-study cohort dates are shown with the table. Read the date and population definitions.